A visit to Buckeye .......

Our Location: Tonopah, Arizona

A bit more rain this morning but nothing major. I heard it when I woke up around 5:30 AM, I also noticed it wasn’t as cold as I expected. We’ll take all the warm days we can get as it’s supposed to cool off to the mid 50’s in our area mid week. Hopefully we don’t get it but oh well.
 

Not much rain. The top left picture shows small little muddy spots that might be puddles if you really squint. You can see the line under the Igloo where it dripped down but not under. So green in the wash.

 

A late start to our morning, it was 10 AM before we headed out the door to Buckeye and some much needed errands. We had a very long list and numerous stops on that list. We first scouted out another location or two just in case we feel the need to move. It was then I noticed that there are numerous children here. I’d say 5 or 6 fairly big rigs with numerous children each. They all seem to be parked together in tow behinds and toy haulers. I would say probably a group of 5 or 6 rigs. Packed in very tightly. I’m guessing at least 8 or 9 kids. The two little fellas on the quad the other day are part of this bunch. 

Fog on the mountain top yesterday.

  

We headed off to Buckeye with a stop at the TA Travel Centre for garbage. Next we headed on into Bealls Outlet. I don’t think we’ve ever really shopped at a Bealls, or if we have I don’t recall. Not much of interest for us there. From there we went next door to Lowe’s where we wandered around picking up a thing or two but mostly looking for ideas for a couple of projects I have in mind. 

 

You can see the mountain tops peeking out of the fog in the bottom picture. That big grouping of rigs is the family circle.

 

From Lowe’s we hit a Dollar Tree but didn’t find a whole lot of what we wanted, which was scotch tape. Can you believe that you have to buy it in a roll that goes in an old fashioned tape dispenser? We didn’t buy it of course but I found it strange that they had no other scotch tape. After that we moved on over to Walgreens to collect some water from their water dispenser. Price this year, $1.50 for 5 gallons, or $0.35 per gallon. Did you know they take credit cards now? A $0.10 fee for using a card is tacked on to the price. 

 

Bales of cotton as we head toward I-10. A few stores and such in Buckeye. We didn't see the Bayfield Bunch at the Cracker Barrel. 

 

From there we headed to Walmart where we spent a great deal of time. We had a number of things to check out and finally found our way to the grocery section where we proceeded to empty all of the shelves. Okay, not all of them, we left the rice cakes and the mustard shelves full. Just kidding, but we did have what seemed like a lot of groceries. We left a sizable donation at the store.

All things come in camouflage except the duck, he just comes with sunglasses.

 

Next we stopped a short distance away at Poppa John’s pizza where we ordered a pie to bring home. It didn’t make it home. We shall leave it at that. A stop for fuel at Circle K with the Big Dog drinking it up at $2.65 per gallon. For some reason it shut off before it was full and I had just assumed it was full and never thought to check it. Oh well, it’s back into the comfortable range of over 3/4 full so I’m happy. 

Interesting modes of transportation. Fighter jet,  a Toyota Tundra, and an old school bus.

 

Back home I unloaded the Dogsled while Riley kept the doorway clear for me to pile more bags. We had things put away and I was reading my book by 4 pm. Yes we have been gone most of the day, getting home around 3:20 pm. No wonder we devoured the pizza. 

 

Fire in the sky tonight behind the mountain to our west.

 Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. Today’s pictures are a mix I’ve taken over the last few days, some with my phone, some with my camera. 

Goodnight from our house to yours.

 

Take care, be safe,

Deb

A very quiet Sunday....

Our Location: Near Tonopah, Arizona

 

A difficult time falling asleep but once asleep I slept well and didn't open my peepers until about 5:30 AM. It was the sound of rain and a bit more than a breeze that filled the air for the most part at that time of the morning. Upon opening the door that wonderful wet desert smell was wafting up from all around us. A few puddles and lots of wet foliage were the only evidence of rain though when I stepped outside to see if I could see the sun anywhere or even just hint. 

 

They just grow everywhere.

Of course the Jumping Cactus or Teddy Bear Cholla is also very abundant.

 

It was around 9 AM or so when the clouds started to break up but only to bunch again letting us play peek a boo with the blue sky. However at some point the clouds did indeed break up, the blue sky and sun shine won out for the rest of the day. A coolish breeze kept us changing from long pants to shorts back to long back to short, etc. Finally we just gave up and once again opened all the windows and the door but stayed inside. 

  

I believe these are form of Hedge Hog cactus. They are abundant and spring up anywhere.

 

They just grow out of the rocks even.

 

Michael and crew from yesterday are attracting more rigs. A van pulled in this morning and a small blue Mini Cooper was moving around the area checking things out and dropped by Michael's spot as well. Then they pulled into the spot Michael had vacated beside us but for some reason didn't stay. A few times it roamed back and forth but didn't seem to be settling anywhere.With the Dogsled parked off a bit from the rear of the Igloo I guess they decided they didn't like the spot. A short time later I noticed a big rig coming slowly up the roadway following a little blue Mini Cooper. They have a very long 5'th wheel behind the big rig. Definitely not enough room near us and for some reason didn't park back beside Michael and company but are definitely part of the group. So it seems as if there is a bigger crew than just Michael and his friend in the A frame camper. How many more will be coming, I have no idea. 

Staghorn Cactus I think. Also very abundant and in various sizes.

 

This is as far back as the trail went. It just kind of petered out. Doug if you look to the middle right you'll see the 'praying hands', well actually just the tips of the fingers.

 

A chat with my dad this afternoon had me learning of the local news. Some rain, some freezing rain and some very thick fog were on the agenda on their weather front today. It was right on the freezing mark when I spoke with him at 6:30 pm ONTARIO time. 

Quite the holes in the hillsides. The two middle pictures are faces on the mountain side.

 

Staghorn cactus dot the landscape.

A lazy day with lots of resting and reading, a bit of house work and a few little putzy things accomplished. Tomorrow we'll be heading into town for a number of things and to reacquaint ourselves with area. Today's photos are from yesterday's hike. 

 

Saguaros in all sizes and shapes, living, dying and dead. The picture on the right shows the Igloo off in the distance.

 

Can you see the many different cacti in this photo? Staghorn, hedgehog, barrel, saguaro and maybe even a teddy bear cholla if we looked hard enough.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

 

 

Splashes of colour, vibrant and tough but delicate too.

 

Even in dying there is colour here in the desert

 

Until next time... take care, be safe, 

 

 

Blooms on a staghorn cactus.

 

This Teddy Bear Cholla is anything but cuddly and soft.

 

Deb

A nice hike this morning.....

Our Location: Tonopah, Arizona

An excellent night’s sleep last night, even though I was sleeping before 10 PM I slept until right around 5 AM which is a long sleep for me. Sure is quiet here and we like that very much.
 

That small white rig in the middle is us. I would be looking toward the north east.

 

A few rain drops around 5:30 AM and the lack of brightness even when the night shade was up had me believing that it was going to be an inside but how wrong I was as I found out later. The sky was overcast and grey with warmish temps until about 15 minutes before 9 when it appeared the clouds were breaking and the sun would make an appearance. Good because we both wanted to get out and walk. It was about 7 or 8 minutes to 9 when Riley and I locked the door and headed off in different directions. Riley headed off down the road toward the main paved road and I headed off back toward the mountains. 

 

I'm looking toward the north west. I basically turned around from taking the other picture to take this one.

 

 I climbed and clamoured over various dips, drops and humps to find myself looking down into the valley that I had enjoyed last year. The views were amazing and I was surprised at the various changes as the sun went behind some clouds and popped back out again. The sunshine made a vast difference in the various hues of green. I took a lot of photos today but don’t worry I’ll save some for a rest day when there aren’t many and drop a few in at a time.

 

I walked back home along that road you see down there. I would have turned left at the end of the fenced area had I taken the road into this area.

 

I am looking a bit more north north west in this photo. That thin pale line is the road I walked  to get home.

 

I’ll spare you all the details and just say I was an hour into my walk when I dipped down into the big wash and few more smaller ones as well until I just ran out of trail. I looked around for a path but didn’t find one, it just seemed to end and I so turned around to head back to the Igloo. Cross country offered some interesting views and challenges but I managed quite well and enjoyed the time I spent hiking this morning.

The clouds came and went and at times it was almost like a fog in some places.

 

Who says the desert is brown and boring?

Back home at the Igloo just a little after 11 AM I was surprised I was back so early. However for the return trip I walked on the road/trail and so I moved along pretty well and stayed on task until I could see the Igloo off a bit in the distance and veered through some washes to get home faster.  

 

Some big holes up there.

 

Some very interesting changes in the landscape.

 

I had some breakfast as I hadn’t had anything before I left except my hot drink. Spent some time reading and just enjoying the rest. The wind picked up a tiny bit and while not cold it was cool so that we didn’t want to be outside exactly as it wasn’t just quite comfortable. One of those too hot in the sun, too cool in the shade no matter how you’re dressed kind of things. So we compromised, we came inside and opened all the windows, door and vents. That seemed to do the trick.  

 

They never look far away but they really are quite far. Can you see all the Saguaro Cactus down there?

Looking back out the way I came in, along that winding path.

 

As I was enjoying a salad and my book we noticed a fella in a pick up towing a big cargo trailer (made into a rig) slowly creeping along and of course he pulled in beside us, stayed for a few minutes and then backed out and continued a bit further down the way. Soon however he was back, pulled in, shut down and looked like he was thinking he was home. He eventually climbed out of his truck and walked over to chat. He asked if we minded if he parked next to us, to which my reply was no unless you plan to run a generator all day or a lot, then we would mind. To that he smiled and shook his head saying, no way, I have a ton of solar and only run the generator if it’s been cloudy for days. I don’t like the sound of them either. I assured him we didn’t mind in that case and that we too run a small generator if we have a number of cloudy days in a row. He then mentioned that he had a friend coming with a small A frame camper but the two would stay down as far from us as they could. I introduced myself and Riley and he in turn said his name was Michael. We welcomed Michael to the neighbourhood. He hadn’t gone far when I remember the spot in the back and so I stepped outside explaining that I wasn’t trying to scare him away but told him about a fantastic spot a bit further back and explained we hadn’t taken it ourselves only because someone was in it when we arrived but they had pulled out the this morning. I explained how to find it and once again assured him I wasn’t trying to send him away.  

 

The vegetation varies greatly. Can you see that dirt track about the lower middle of the photo, that's the trail I walked where it dips way way down into a wash.

 

Within a few minutes his friend arrived and the two of them walked back to the site I had mentioned. Meanwhile I had decided if they didn’t take it I’d seriously consider packing up and moving to it ourselves. It wasn’t long until I heard Michael calling out to us, they decided they would take the spot, it was perfect for them and he mentioned something about parking the ‘rigs’ big ones on one side and small ones on the other side. I wondered if perhaps we’d dodged a bullet of being surrounded by others as well. Within a couple of minutes it was just us once again and while we can see them back behind us the distance is comfortable. We shall see if more rigs show up in the next few days. 

 

I took this roadway but it turned into more of a path later on.

 

After that I simply spent the rest of the day preparing lunch, reading and puttering around. The late breakfast and the salad pretty much did the trick for me but I cooked a nice Pork Loin with potatoes and carrots around the roast and a side of stuffing for Riley. However I did enjoy the orange jello.
 

Almost directly north. I love the many colours.

 

No sunset tonight as the clouds kind of moved back in, and we can feel the temperatures dropping a bit as the predicted cold front comes our way. Oh well it’s not really going to be cold but colder than we’re used to, however we will not be shoveling anything and we will not be putting on our heavy coats and mittens so I think we’re safe. 

I made my way back to the green hump you see in the middle of the photo. I was at the foot of that hump but the trail just ended.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.

The view out our door tonight.

 

Until next time… take care, be safe,

Deb

We moved today.....

Our Location: near Tonopah, Arizona

An okay night’s sleep last night. Too much on my mind to sleep well I guess. Stress is one of those things that keeps me awake long after I don’t want to be awake. Hopefully it passes quickly and things will settle down again.
 

We saw this colourful fella on our way out to Plomosa Road.

 

Leaving Quartzsite in our rear view mirror this morning.

 

 We were up looking at each other saying, “ Well do we just pack up or do we have a drink and catch up with our blogging friends?” Turns out we just packed up and decided we’d head out and find a spot before catching up with folks. The Dogsled followed by the Igloo was heading across  the desert floor shortly after 9 AM and we were on Plomosa Road by 9:15 AM, not a long drive to the road and a much smoother one than I sent our friends on yesterday.

The rest area on I-10 East  about 30 miles from Quartzsite.

 

Do you see the sleeping giant?

 

A quick stop along the way on I-10 EAST but nothing too exciting, just to dump some garbage and a quick leg stretch. It seemed as if we'd just gotten back on the road and before we knew it we’d arrived at our turn off. It wasn’t even 11 AM yet. We did well.  

Last year there  was bales of cotton everywhere, this year it's hay.

 

This area is busier now than it was the other times we were here and so it took a while to find a place we both liked but we managed. I think we’ll enjoy this spot a great deal. It’s close enough for me to hike in the hills without a long walk to get there and the road is straight enough for Riley to find her way around the area. The best of both worlds. 

 

We saw this cute little house on one of many roads we checked out.

 

 After getting set up I called my dad to let him know w’e d arrived but only managed to get his machine. No worries, I just left a message. After that we had some lunch and enjoyed the warmth for a while. We both took a turn with the magnet to collect some tire punchers hopefully before any end up in the rubber of the Igloo or Dogsled.

Love the view out the window.

 

I've walked around that top in the past.

 

Two young fellas on a small quad were tearing past pretty close to the Igloo so when I went outside to ask them to stay on the road, I didn’t get a chance, they knew and headed off immediately. I was shocked to hear to older of the two, maybe 8 or 9 cussing up a storm and dropping the F bomb every other word while they were stuck a few yards from the Igloo. However they worked hard and quickly to get ‘unstuck’  before hurrying off and we didn’t see them any more.

I think we can spend a few weeks in this setting. Tomorrow we'll set up the outside.

 

Another call to Dad just to say hi and I was glad I did because he inadvertently erased the other message. He was pretty sure that it was us and that we had arrived safely but he was going to call to confirm in a bit. I guess I just saved him a phone call. Very cold at his house, lots of snow, supposed to warm up to just below the freezing mark with rain or freezing rain and then plummet back down again next week. For our Ontario readers, I doubt that Wiarton Willie will be able to stick his head out tomorrow, I’ll bet the door is frozen shut. I’m guessing a couple more months of winter for Ontario.  

 

Some signs we noticed today. Can you see the pretty yellow along the roadside?

 

 

We are parked near this Saguaro. Love the face!!

 

No sunset to speak of tonight, but we are enjoying our first evening here and are snuggled in snug like a bug in a rug. We plan on being here for a few weeks and are looking forward to getting some things accomplished while in this area. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit.
 

I just love this view.

 

Until next time…. take care, be safe, 

Goodnight from the Igloo.

 

 Deb